Understanding Payer Perceptions with Megan O'Brien

In this episode, we hear from Megan O'Brien, Associate Director at Access Infinity, to explore why understanding payer perception is so difficult to capture in a structured way. Megan shares how traditional KPIs like time to access and price only tell part of the story, and why the softer, more subjective elements of payer engagement, from communication frequency to corporate trust, can influence reimbursement outcomes in ways that can be challenging to track. Tune in to hear how primary research and smarter feedback loops could help access teams move from measuring activity to demonstrating real impact. Send us Fan Mail

Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing has taken over conversations at conferences, client meetings, and boardrooms alike, but what does it actually mean in practice?In this episode, we continue the conversation on evolving US pricing policy. Host Louise Bennett is joined by three of the Access Infinity team: Leigh Ann Bruhn, Louisa Byrne, and Richard Mee. Together, they discuss the current MFN landscape from multiple angles: US payer and policy, global pricing and modelling, and ex-US strategic implications. From the ground at the recent ACCESS Forum in New Orleans, to conversations with European clients, the team explores where MFN stands today, what remains deeply uncertain, and how manufacturers are (and aren't) responding. A timely conversation for anyone navigating the intersection of US policy and global market access strategy.To connect and continue the conversation with Leigh Ann, Louisa and Richard, visit the LinkedIn links below: www.linkedin.com/in/leighannvalue/ www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-oliver-byrne-05a3b212b/ www.linkedin.com/in/richard-mee-3a227a11/ You can also let us know what you thought of this episode by emailing host Louise on [email protected]. To explore other useful resources on this topic, go to accessinfinity.com/news-resources. Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we sit down with Nikhil Taxak, Head of Pricing and Market Access Data Analytics at Access Infinity, to explore the rapidly evolving market access landscape.From the US Most Favored Nation (MFN) policy and Germany's Medical Research Act to surprising developments in Japan's pricing thresholds, Nikhil breaks down how these changes are reshaping pricing and reimbursement strategies worldwide.The conversation covers emerging regional patterns across Europe, North America, and Asia, with particular focus on three key themes: cost containment measures, value-based innovation recognition, and increasing transparency requirements. Nikhil also addresses the practical challenges pharmaceutical companies face as they navigate stricter evidence requirements, lower price tolerance, and greater global interconnectedness.This episode references Nikhil's 'In the Loop' email newsletter and 'Navigating the Waves' blog, which he authors with his team. Find out more and subscribe on these links: https://accessinfinity.com/policy-intelligence/subscribe-to-in-the-loop/https://accessinfinity.com/news-resources/ and filter 'policy insights'. Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we're joined by Louisa Oliver Byrne, Senior Consultant at Access Infinity. We learn about the complexities of the Most Favored Nation (MFN) policy and its implications for pharmaceutical market access. Louisa shares insights from her recent research on MFN, exploring how direct-to-consumer pricing models might actually play out in practice, and why the policy's stated goals don't always align with likely outcomes. From "brown bagging" concerns to payer behaviour shifts, this episode unpacks what pharma companies need to know about preparing for an uncertain policy landscape through strategic scenario planning.Useful resources referenced in this episode:  You can download the article 'Market Access in the IRP Era: Scenarios to Plan for an Uncertain Future' here. Details of the CELforPharma course 'Understanding Pharma Market Access in the US' are available on the CELforPharma website here. Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we invite Access Infinity Partner, Isabel Rubio back to the podcast  to explore the unique challenges and innovative solutions reshaping market access and pricing within rare disease.  Isabel shares insights from her extensive experience with due diligence assessments in orphan drug development, discussing three transformative strategies that are revolutionising how companies prove value in ultra-rare diseases. From multi-domain endpoints and visual evidence to payment-by-results models, this episode reveals why traditional HTA frameworks fall short for orphan drugs and how early collaboration between pricing, market access, and clinical teams is essential for success. Isabel has authored a blog on this topic, which you can read here: accessinfinity.com/blogs/breaking-through-barriers-how-innovation-is-revolutionising-orphan-drug-development. Send us Fan Mail

In this insightful episode we speak with Lizzie Shanahan, Global Access AI Strategy Lead at Sanofi. With over six years' experience at Sanofi and a rich background in commercial roles, Lizzie shares her unique journey into the world of market access and how her diverse experience shapes her approach to launch excellence.The conversation explores exciting developments in the industry, including the evolution of digital technologies and AI. Lizzie shares thoughtful insights on finding the right balance between technological innovation and maintaining essential human skills within the industry.This is a great episode for professionals in market access or commercial leaders considering a career transition and provides both practical guidance and forward-thinking perspectives on the changing landscape of market access.The opinions shared in this podcast are Lizzie's own views. Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, we speak with Silvy Mardiguian, Senior Director and Head of HEOR for Europe & New Markets at BeiGene.  Silvy has been co-leading BeiGene’s preparedness and organisational readiness for the new Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA) framework, which is going to significantly change the EU HTA landscape.Silvy shares key insights into some of the learnings and challenges she has encountered during this process and highlights why strong cross-functional collaboration has been key to making it all work.We also hear about Silvy’s career journey to date — from her move from consulting into industry to the lessons she’s picked up along the way. She shares advice for anyone working in value and access, as well as some words of wisdom she’d give her younger self. The opinions shared in this podcast are Silvy's own views. Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we chat with Jie Shen, who is Vice President Global Head Market Access at CSL. Having started her career in pharma before the market access function existed, Jie is an industry veteran. We cover the changes she's seen over the last 24 years, including multi-stakeholder capitalisation - what it means to Jie and why she feels it's important for market access leaders.The opinions shared in this podcast are Jie's own views.Send us Fan Mail

We're kicking off 2025 with a fantastic podcast episode featuring Katrin Jack, Global Access Strategy Head at Galderma and President of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association Zürich-Zug Chapter. This episode covers a lot of ground, from the 'sliding doors' moment that led Katrin into market access, to why she feels it's important for leaders to understand their core values (and stay true to them). Like many of our podcast guests, Katrin has an obvious passion for market access and it was a delight to hear about her journey and the perspectives she's gained along the way. Bonus: In addition to the many professional insights Katrin shares in this chat, she also references the following book: "Beginner with a Black Belt" by Ana Stevanović. The opinions shared in this podcast are Katrin's own views.Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we speak with Ezgi Erdogan who is Oncology Market Access Director for Emerging Markets at GSK. In this discussion, we cover the unpredictability of emerging markets and the unique challenges this presents. Ezgi also shares her future predictions for access in emerging markets and talks about the importance of cross-functional collaboration in pharma to support the ever-changing landscape. The opinions shared in this podcast are Ezgi's own views.   Send us Fan Mail